How Does God Speak?
Have you ever heard God speak to you or wondered how does God speak? Here we will read how Moses met with God and heard clearly from Him.
Would you rather listen than read? Listen Here.
Meeting Your Hero
Father’s Day of 2020, restaurants had opened again in our area and my husband wanted to go to his favorite to celebrate. We arrived and sat in a booth close to the front of the restaurant, where I could see the main entrance. As I glanced at the door, I noticed someone that my brain registered as knowing, but my mind could not understand why she was right there. It was Reba!
Let me explain, if there is one famous person I could meet, it would be her. I love her songs and I have watched all the episodes of her TV show at least once. Most likely twice. For as much as I love her, my daughter’s love for her is exponentially more. Once my brain caught up with my eyes of who was standing in front of me, I grabbed both of my girls’ arms across the table and all I could say was, “Reba!” And it may have been loud enough for Reba to hear without my planning to do that.
My girls whipped the heads around and just stared. When they looked back at me, my oldest daughter began crying. Her hero was right in front of her and she could not keep herself together.
I know you are wondering if we talked to her, or got pictures. The answer is no. I desperately wanted to, but the restaurant was very protective of her and it was right at the beginning of the pandemic and I did not want to invade her space. However, my husband keeps reminding us we owe him another Father’s Day meal because the entire focus of the dinner was on her, not him.
Who is the one person you have always wanted to meet?
Seeing God Face To Face
When I first really came to know Jesus, all I wanted was to know Him even more. I read my Bible, prayed often, and did all I could to know more and more about Him. I longed to sit next to Him and just ask Him all of my questions. One day in Bible study, I told the ladies who were all mentors to me I wanted nothing more than to see God face to face.
In her gracious southern accent, the group leader said, “Honey, you cannot do that.” I became defensive and said, “Well, why not?” She responded, “Because you would die.”
Taken aback, I had to ask more questions. They led me right to a beautiful passage in Exodus where Moses asked God to see Him face to face.
In Exodus 33:18, Moses asks God to show him His glory. Then, in verse 20, God says, “You cannot see my face, for no one can see me and live.” But God tells Moses that He will pass by him so that Moses can see His back. From that point on, I desired the relationship Moses had with God.
Moving ahead to Numbers 12, we come to a scene where Aaron and Miriam, Moses’ siblings, are upset about Moses’ wife. God confronts them about their frustration against Moses.
“He said, ‘Listen to my words: ‘When there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams. But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?’’ The anger of the Lord burned against them, and he left them.”
Numbers 12:6-9 NIV
Building A Relationship With God
I long to have a relationship with God, like Moses. Moses spoke with God as one would with a friend. We can often read squabbles between the two that sound like an old married couple arguing. Moses shared his heart with God, and God often gave him what he asked for. I just love there open candor with one another.
I have found the more I know of Jesus, and the more time I spend with Him, the more this type of relationship develops. There is nothing sweeter than hearing the voice of God whisper directly to my heart. Some of my most treasured moments have been dreams I have had where Jesus sat right next to me as a friend.
There is nothing sweeter than hearing the voice of God whisper directly to my heart. Some of my most treasured moments have been dreams I have had where Jesus sat right next to me as a friend. Click To TweetDon’t you find it amazing that God who created the Heavens and Earth wants to know you and have this kind of relationship with you?
How Does God Speak?
The ways I have experienced God speaking or have heard from others are:
- There are times when reading the Bible and words just jump off the page. The words touch your heart in a special way.
- Dreams and visions.
- In prayer, remember, it is a two-way conversation. If we share our heart with Him and wait on a response, there will often be one. It may be with words, a feeling, a thought that pops in your head, or many other ways. Never limit God.
- Many times, God has spoken to me through others. Either they feel led to pray a certain way or God tells them and they share it with me. God often uses this way to confirm something to me.
- Sometimes when I don’t know where to start I will journal. My favorite journals are from Cultivate. They give the scripture for you to write and as you write, you ask God to reveal something to you in the scripture. The discipline of writing can help you stay more focused when you then go back and reread it.
- Many other ways… I would love for you to share how He has spoken to you in the comments.
How To Hear God Speak
If you have never experienced the Lord speaking to you, I encourage you to ask Him to. I asked and asked and then one day completely unexpectedly He spoke to me while ironing. Ask and keep asking until you hear Him. Be attentive. Sometimes He is speaking and I am not listening, or I have missed it because I am too busy. Keep praying. Pray and listen while you are praying. Read the Bible and allow Him to speak through His word. Every time before I read, I ask Him to teach me something new. To open my eyes to see beyond what I already know. Not to just skim the pages but to be open to what He wants to say to me.
Some of my favorite scriptures about God speaking are…
“My sheep respond as they hear My voice; I know them intimately, and they follow Me.”
John 10:27 The Voice
“Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.”
Jeremiah 33:3 NLT
“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”
Hebrews 4:12 NLT
Prayer
“I pray Lord, that You open our hearts and minds to hear Your voice. That we would not doubt what we hear is from You or the thought that passes through our head is from You or the image we see in our mind’s eye is from you. Let us not miss your still small voice. Speak clearly to us. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”
Isn’t it wonderful we have a God we can talk to and who talks back? No religion in the world can claim that because they all serve false gods. Thanks for sharing, Jennifer.
I love the stories of Moses talking with God (with, not to — how amazing that is!). I also love that He still talks to us today even though there are so many times when He must just want to shake His head at me instead. The older I get, the more I try to make a point to slow down and listen for Him. Thanks for the encouragement and reminders.
Beautifully written and illustrate. I keep a prayer journal and God sometimes reveals Himself to me when I’m writing. Other times, it’s during the ordinary moments of my day – doing the dishes, driving my car, etc. – but always when I’m alone and quiet.
Your message was just what I needed today. I’ve been praying to “hear” God’s voice and for guidance in knowing His plan for me. He speaks to me often when I walk in His creation, but I’m praying to be a better listener. Thank you, Jen.
Jen, I suppose the way I most consistently hear from God is through His word. But some of my sweetest memories of hearing from God are what I call His heart hugs in the midst of deep pain.
God speaks to me in so many ways. Oftentimes it’s through an urging, unrest or feeling in my spirit. On one occasion I felt like my earthly father was not doing well. I couldn’t shake the feeling. One day while reading my Bible, he gave me instructions to do something in that moment. I stopped reading Isaiah 26 and did what he put on my heart to do. In that moment, I learned he was released from the hospital three days prior. Shocked is an understatement. Two of my spiritual gifts are discernment and prophecy. God is always speaking, showing, and revealing things to me in mysterious ways.